not as narrow as this
by Seiba Artoria
Summary: Limited contact, limited time. but it doesn't matter because above all, he is still her patient.


**not as narrow as this  
**

 **Disclaimer: Shingeki no Kyojin © Hajime Isayama**. no financial profit taken from this.

 **Warning:** AU

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The room is so bright he can't help shutting his eyes. A slight push on his back forces him to move on. He walks in slowly, taking in his surroundings. The air smells like chemical but it is alright, it means this place is clean. It has to be. The furniture is all white and there are cords everywhere. He drops himself on the bed, counting all the machines attached to it.

The nurse approaches him, giving him his plain hospital dress. Something he has to wear everyday and everytime, whatever the occasion.

"Oh, don't forget to check his vitals too!"

"Understood, Doc."

He tilts his head upwards to where the voice came from. He only realizes now that there's a room above the wall across his bed, a large glass separating it from his room. There he sees her, standing behind that large window. Copper hair cut short, framing her face just right. A pair of golden eyes watching him intensely.

He smirks at her. And she furrows.

.

.

She never speaks to him.

These three weeks he spends with her in this damned facility, he never gets her verbal response to anything. Neither when she is in the room with him, nor when she is in that room up there. She introduced herself the first time she came in to his room, "My name is Petra Ral and I am a doctor in charge of you. Nice to meet you, Mr. Levi. We promise we will do our best to make you better."

And that's it. Nothing after.

She is conversing normally with her nurses though. So why the hell is she not speaking to him only? He has to know. He needs to know.

"Why aren't you speaking to me?"

She only glances at him. Hands never stops working on his IV.

"Hey, Petra."

Still no answer.

"I mean, Doctor Ral. Erwin's speaking to me no problem and Hange couldn't be anymore talkative."

She sighs, "My apologies, Sir. But I am given orders not to talk to you."

Finally she sees him in his eyes before continuing, "Inspector Smith and Agent Zoe was interrogating you, while I myself has no reason to interact with you outside medical necessity."

"But you just talked."

She is silent for awhile before leaving.

.

.

He knows it from the very first time _he_ stepped his filthy feet on his room and told him he was Petra's supervisor. He knows he wasn't going to like him and now he is sure.

He has seen _him_ flirting with her up there before. And hugged her from behind. And kissed her cheek. And all ended with her slapping him. He has seen her eyes whenever _he_ touch her, she looked so frightened.

He could hold his anger then but now is different.

That asshole is drawing the curtain down the window, blocking all his view. He can hear her struggle and all he wants to do now is killing that crazy bastard. _Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck!_ He knows what's happening but he can't do anything in his condition. He still has a voice, though.

So he shouts, "Hey, pervert! Take your hands off her!"

When he sees no sign of stopping he shouts louder, "Stop it bastard!"

And louder, "Don't touch her!"

And even more louder until the nurses and security guards coming in to stop him from pulling out his IV.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE TOUCH HER!"

He doesn't stop until the curtain drew open and the perverted doctor is brought outside by Erwin and his men.

.

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"Thank you very much," she says during her daily check one morning.

"You finally talk to me."

"Thank you for saving me the other day."

He thinks she is smiling now because he can see her eyes wrinkles between her masks, "Don't just go around taking care of me. You should take care of yourself properly too."

She nods, "I will. So Mr. Levi, you too, should do your best fighting your illness."

He didn't know she plays a role of a motivator too.

"There is no use. I'm gonna die anyway."

"That's not true! You are going to be fine."

He grips her hand and looks straight into her eyes, "I'm going to die, right?"

"No, you're not."

Her words are firm and he can see the determination in her eyes. He releases her and tilts his head away, smirking.

 _A stubborn one, huh?_

And she continues treating him.

.

.

She just finishes her paperworks when the door opens.

"How is he?" Inspector Smith walks past her to stand before the window, eyes on her patient.

She approaches him, "He is stable. Not worse but not better either."

"We need to question him right now, is it alright?"

"You just interrogated him yesterday, can't it wait?"

"Your country can not wait forever, Doctor Ral."

His eyes bores into hers, radiating words like _"this is an order and you have no saying in this"_. His face so fierce she can't help but cringe. But Petra Ral is not having any of it right now. He is _her_ patient and his wellbeing is _her_ concern.

"No, Inspector. I maybe your subordinate in rank but I am his doctor and it is my job to keep him alive, not sending him right to death by additional stress."

"This is not _'additional stress'_ , Doctor. It is a very serious matter involving your country. Are you telling me you rather choose one criminal's life over thousands lives of innocent citizen?"

"Must be very convenient of you to value people's life by number, Inspector."

Erwin Smith closes his eyes, sighing in the process. This young doctor is testing his patience and he is starting to lose it. But he is not an elite inspector for nothing. He always has many ways to get things done.

"He likes you, it seems."

And this is not what Petra expect it to be.

"And what about it?"

"You can help us then. We won't question him but you will get him to talk."

Inspector Smith really knows how to convince people to do things of his will. And that is why he is the most manipulative human being in The Legion.

"He likes to talk to you and you will only delight him by doing it. He won't stress over it but we will still get the answers. It's a win-win, isn't it?"

Petra only stares at him.

.

.

"How are you today, Mr. Levi?" She approaches him with smile.

"Bored, but alive I guess?"

She smiles again. _Good God, why is she smiling like that?_

"I have a great news for you. I overheard Inspector Smith talking this morning about your sister. I heard that she is alive and well."

Levi shoots her a rather shocked look, a frown on his face. "My sister?"

"Yes, she isn't dead. Isn't it great?"

"Yeah, but…." Levi is still processing this information while his eyes meets her golden ones. She looks … unsure. Not lying but not honest either.

Then realization hit him and he rolls his eyes, facing the Inspector up in that large window, "Don't make her do something stupid, Erwin. She isn't suitable for lying."

Inspector Smith only blinks his eyes while his brunette agent beside him starts laughing, muttering something like "not that easy".

Levi turns to his doctor who is clenching and unclenching his bedsheet. Somehow upset?

She feels his gaze so she attempts an excuse, "I-I am not-"

"I know you're not lying. Thank you, but you don't have to do this. Just be you like usual, it is best."

Petra meets his eyes, not really sure she heard him right.

"You are the reason I want to get up in the morning. Well, also my sister but she was declared dead last year."

He said it so casually, face as flat as ever. She doesn't dare assuming anything. "Thank you, I guess. It is my job after all."

"No, I'm sure it is because who you are."

"If you say so." She can feel her face warming up. Blushing just when she isn't wearing her face mask, what a timing.

He is smiling to her though. Well, only a faint one but still, a smile. So it is kind of worth it? She can not understand what is she even thinking right now.

.

.

She hears an argument downstairs so she steps out from the glass room. Her nurses are trying desperately to drag an officer out of her patient's isolated room.

"What is going on here?"

They all stop pushing each other and turn to her.

"She suddenly came and forced to enter, Doc. We tried to tell her it is off limit for non-medic other than the inspector as you say. But she is so persistent." One of her nurses explains.

"Doctor Ral, I am First Lieutenant Nifa from The Legion. I have orders to fulfill with our suspect here." The female officer extends her hand to her.

She shakes it hesitantly, " _My patient_ , Officer. But I have never heard of this from Inspector Smith himself. What order if I may know?"

"To question him, as you know our previous method wasn't working. We highly expect your cooperation."

"But Inspector Smith-"

"Inspector Smith sent me because he can't attend this himself today."

Petra examines her quickly. She is indeed a First Lieutenant from her badge and she came here once with Agent Zoe a couple weeks ago. So is it really an order from Erwin? Well, what else is she doing if it's not?

"Fine," she finally says. "But I'm staying here."

"It is not allowed for you to participate in an interrogation, Doctor."

"And it is not allowed for you to question my critical patient without a presence of a doctor."

"I want her to stay. Or else I won't say anything." A deep voice other than theirs speaks.

Officer Nifa turns her head to face her bored looking suspect, sighing, "Alright, I allow Doctor Ral's presence here, today."

Petra doesn't care what they are discussing actually. She only cares about Mr. Levi because he is not in his best condition these days. He has dropped unconscious twice yesterday, it worries her. So she busies herself with his vitals and others that need checking.

She really doesn't see it coming.

The scream is pretty loud for her nurses outside to hear. When she turns her head the knife is already held up by Officer Nifa's trembling hands. A slight force and it would stuck on her patient's chest.

Petra doesn't think. She can't.

She jumps on her patient in a second, shielding him from whatever incoming disaster. She shuts her eyes, hoping at least the stab won't be that painful for her. Except it never comes.

Petra lifts up her head slowly. When she opens her eyes, Officer Nifa is crying, her hands gripped by a bigger hand, a masculine one. Mr. Levi's.

"Drop it."

Petra doesn't know when exactly she starts crying but she is. Her body is as trembling as Officer Nifa's and her face is as messy.

Officer Nifa drops her knife together with her body on the floor, crying out loud, "I can't! I'm sorry!"

Petra is still hugging her patient tightly when she feels a soft grip on her shoulder.

"It's alright now, Doc."

She spins her head towards his face. His eyes is as bored as usual but it is darker. It looks sad. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Not anybody's fault. You didn't need to protect me from it, though."

"What are you saying?! Of course I need to!"

"Doctor Ral-"

"What do you think I am, Mr. Levi?!" She can't hold her tears any longer. _If I'm crying in front of my patient then so be it._

"Petra, calm down."

"I'm not-"

"Doctor Ral!"

They stop arguing when nurses and securities barge in with a squad which she believes is from The Legion. They take a moment to process the situation before securing Officer Nifa, still crying. The nurses all running to check on her. She tries her best to smile, assuring them she is okay. She sees Agent Zoe rushing towards her.

"Doctor Ral, I'm so so sorry. Looks like we can not even handle our own men." She smiles apologetically.

Petra only smiles back, not sure how to respond. She stares back to her patient who is also looking at her. His bland smile is gone as fast as it came.

She has no idea she would be this glad he is alive.

.

.

"I'm done here, am I?"

"Who told you that?"

"I just know."

His doctor doesn't answer. Her eyes focus on a set of sharp tools on her desk beside his bed. Hands busy emptying a bottle of fluids. Levi doesn't need anymore clarification, though. He knows.

When she picks up a syringe and readying it, Levi pulls her hand down. Her face an inch from his, or more, considering all her masks. Glaring at her, he whispers, "Promise me, Doctor Ral."

She only stares back, not indicating any vocal response.

"Promise me you will continue live, as yourself. Promise me you won't get manipulated by anyone. You are not capable of bad things."

She hardly controls her tears so she can only manages a "Why?" out her throat.

"Just promise."

She blinks, a tear rolls down, "I promise."

"Good. Now do it."

"Do what?"

His hand gesturing to her injection tools. She closes her eyes.

"Doctor, it is time. We are ready." A voice from up there, probably Erwin Smith.

He leans back to his pillow, eyes straight to hers, "It's fine, Petra. Goodbye."

"You too, Sir, please live. Because it is not your fault."

He smirks. And she smiles.

And then everything is black.

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 **A/N:**

ok so this is my first attempt at rivetra. I love them so much and occasionally get ideas but never really write it bcs life and everything (im just lazy smh). I got this idea when I was watching Bloody Monday (anyone knows this drama?) so another disclaimer: Bloody Monday is not mine.

my apologies for any error because english is not my native language. and i dont really understand what the title means im sorry. so yeah I hope it gets to you? the story? well it is kinda vague but at least it is readable? i think i have to leave the interpretation to all your creative minds.

thank you for stopping by! i wish you all a great day. see you! (maybe)

-Seiba


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